T-boned by a CMP

[Keith Webb]

Looks like maintenance wasn't high on the list of priorities for the owners of the truck. I wonder if the brakes failed.

[Grant Bowker]

In immediate post-war Europe, my impression is that there was not a lot of cash floating around to buy replacement tires, many other priorities for the money that was about, few replacement tires to be had, fewer regulations about minimum tread depth and a less lawsuit oriented society. As a result I suspect that more than a few trucks of the era ran on similar tires, both in Europe and elsewhere.

[Bill Murray]

A few from my CMP postwar collection.

some tyres have tread, some don't and the mismatches are marvelous.

Bill

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Grant Bowker

In immediate post-war Europe, my impression is that there was not a lot of cash floating around to buy replacement tires, many other priorities for the money that was about, few replacement tires to be had, fewer regulations about minimum tread depth and a less lawsuit oriented society. As a result I suspect that more than a few trucks of the era ran on similar tires, both in Europe and elsewhere.

You're right, even if someone had the cash, tyres and other replacement parts were very hard to come by!
The ex-Canadian Army trucks were released to civilian operators, those with public/priority functions came first.

Please bear in mind Europe was absolutely ransacked after WW2; the Gemans had taken anything of value and then the fighting damaged what was left.
My grandfather returned to Holland in 1945, after living through a Japanese internment camp in Indonesia, broke but alive! His first job was to reposess Dutch assets from Germany, ranging from machinery to an elephant (which was taken from a zoo). He was given a Captain's rank and uniform, plus a driver in a VW Beetle. But I digress....

H.

[Bill Murray]

Dear Hanno and others...........

Please do not take my posting of my photos as representing any sort of criticism of Dutch owners of CMP or any other ex WWII vehicles in the immediate post war period.

I do fully understand the deprivation that existed at the time. It involved food, fuel, rubber, building materiels and infrastructure in general.

I was not trying to make a joke, just telling how it was then.

Bill

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Bill Murray

Dear Hanno and others...........

Please do not take my posting of my photos as representing any sort of criticism of Dutch owners of CMP or any other ex WWII vehicles in the immediate post war period.

I do fully understand the deprivation that existed at the time. It involved food, fuel, rubber, building materiels and infrastructure in general.

I was not trying to make a joke, just telling how it was then.

Bill,

Surely not! I was just wiseguying trying to put the bald/mismatched tyres in context...

Hanno

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

My grandfather returned to Holland in 1945, after living through a Japanese internment camp in Indonesia, broke but alive! His first job was to reposess Dutch assets from Germany, ranging from machinery to an elephant (which was taken from a zoo). He was given a Captain's rank and uniform, plus a driver in a VW Beetle. But I digress....

Hi Hanno

Would love to hear more of the story - please feel free to digress away (or do it in a new thread). I recently interviewed a 96 year old Dutchman who was with KLM in the years before the war in the Dutch East Indies. He escaped on the last flight out to Australia - a very dramatic story!

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

Would love to hear more of the story - please feel free to digress away (or do it in a new thread).

Really need to sit down and talk with my dad and take notes.... Here's another part of my family history from my mother's side: Officier-vlieger J. Blok

H.

[Tim Lovelock]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

You're right, even if someone had the cash, tyres and other replacement parts were very hard to come by!
The ex-Canadian Army trucks were released to civilian operators, those with public/priority functions came first.

Please bear in mind Europe was absolutely ransacked after WW2; the Gemans had taken anything of value and then the fighting damaged what was left.
My grandfather returned to Holland in 1945, after living through a Japanese internment camp in Indonesia, broke but alive! His first job was to reposess Dutch assets from Germany, ranging from machinery to an elephant (which was taken from a zoo). He was given a Captain's rank and uniform, plus a driver in a VW Beetle. But I digress..

Hi Hanno, I'm with Keith, digress away. A Dutch friend of mine had three uncles, during the war one was in the Dutch Army, one in the Dutch resistance and the third in the German Army. All survived the war, I'm sure their histories made for interesting discussion at a family gathering.
Cheers Tim

[Dianaa]

There is some interesting coachwork on this Chev, even has wind up windows.

[Tony Wheeler]

Some of the Australian coachbuilt cabs were pretty fancy too.

TONY6380 - Copy.jpg

TONY6382 - Copy.jpg

[Alex van de Wetering]

during the war one was in the Dutch Army, one in the Dutch resistance and the third in the German Army. All survived the war, I'm sure their histories made for interesting discussion at a family gathering.

Tim....I wonder if they ever talked about it in the post-war years.
It seems it wasn't uncommon that people didn't talk about the war in post-war years, even if family members chose opposite sides during the war. For a lot of people it was a closed book, it was painful to talke about it and everyone focussed on rebuilding the country and returning to everyday life.

There was a good documentary on Dutch TV recently about the immediate post-war years....it must have been a very "strange" period.....for instance ...survivors from the camps returned to their homes only to find someone else living there and all their possessions being stolen.

Alex